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Sept. 15, 1964 G MECKLER METALLIC, CELLULAR, STRUCTURAL FLOOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 8, '1960 IN VEN TOR.

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METALLIC, CELLULAR, STRUCTURAL FLOOR Filed Jan. 8, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Geraflan Meek/er Sept-15,1964 G MECKLER 3,148,727

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INVENTOR. 68AM; Meri/er "QM 6am United States Patent Q 3,148,727 METALLIC, CELLULAR, STRUCTURAL FLOOR Gershon Meclder, Toledo, Ghio, assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Space Conditioning Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Jan. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 1,283 3 Claims. (Cl. 165-49) This invention relates to a metallic, cellular, structural floor, and, more particularly, to such a floor for use in multi-story buildings both as a load-bearing structure and to provide ducts or conduits through which conditioned air flows in being delivered to various spaces within the building and other ducts or conduits through which air flows in being returned to a central conditioning system.

Various metallic, cellular floors have heretofore been suggested for load-bearing use in multi-story buildings to provide ducts or conduits through which conditioned air is delivered to various spaces within the buildings. However, it has been found to be highly advantageous to include in such floors relatively small conduits for electrical purposes, for example to carry wires to various locations within the building, and it has been found that approximately one-half of the available conduit space in such floors is required for electrical purposes, with the result that only about one-half of the available conduit space can be used for air conditioning purposes. As a consequence, so far as is known, it has heretofore been thought to be necessary to allocate a sufiicient portion of the conduits which have been formed in cellular floors to the carrying of electrical wires and the like that the remaining available conduits were insufiicient in total crosssectional area to carry conditioned air to the various spaces within the building and also to carry return air from such spaces to a central conditioning area. As a consequence, plenum chambers or separate, specially provided ducts, or both, have heretofore been used for returning air, and the ducts or conduits in the deck material have been used only for the delivery of conditioned air. The plenum chambers are disposed between the bottom side of cellular floors and the top of the ceiling of a floor therebelow. Since the cellular floor rests on beams and the ceiling of the floor below is positioned closely adjacent the lower extremities of the beams, the side walls of the beams themselves form the side walls of the plenum chambers, and the longitudinal axes of the plenums are parallel to the beams. For strength reasons, it is necessary that the ducts or conduits in the floor have longitudinal axes running at right angles to those of the plenums. This circumstance has necessitated relatively extensive duct work, in addition to the plenum chambers and the ducts or conduits in the deck material, to deliver conditioned air as required to, and to return air from, the various spaces to the conditioning area.

In addition, cellular floors that have heretofore been suggested, and that have included ducts or conduits for carrying conditioned air and also conduits for electrical conductors, have spaced these different types of conduits laterally of the floor relative to one another. As a consequence, when such floors are installed, and concrete or the like is applied to the upper surface thereof and thermal insulating material to the under surface thereof, the electrical conduits are thermally isolated from the conditioned air conduits except for a relatively thin web of the floor through which heat can be conducted from one to the other. Conduction through the thin web is not effective to transfer heat generated by the electrical energy in the conductors to the conditioned air. As a result, such energy is conducted from the conduits which carry the electrical cables to the adjacent concrete or other material; the concrete or other material is heated, and imice poses a load within the space which must be carried by conditioned air delivered thereto.

The present invention is based upon the discovery of a cellular floor having practical dimensions and providing all ducts or conduits necessary for electrical service, for delivery of conditioned air to various spaces within a multi-story building, as required, and, in addition, providing all ducts or conduits necessary to carry return air from various spaces within the building to a central conditioning area. In addition, such floor enables the continuous dissipation of heat generated by electricity conducted through the building and thereby minimizes heat storage within the building and the maximum load that must be carried by air conditioning apparatus.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improved floor of the type indicated.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved air conditioning system including means for conditioning or changing the temperature of air, means for delivering conditioned air to a space to be comfort conditioned, and means for returning air from the space to the conditioning means, where ducts or conduits in a cellular floor constitute both a part of the means for delivering conditioned air and a part of the means for carrying return air.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an air conditioning system wherein heat generated Within a space to be conditioned is transferred to conditioned or return air instead of being liberated within the space.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the description which follows, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially schematic view of a fragment of a multi-story building including improved deck material according to the invention having ducts or conduits which constitute a part of the means for delivering conditioned air to various spaces within the building and other ducts or conduits which are a part of the means for returning air to a central conditioning area;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing the cellular floor as used in the building of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing the air circulation of the conditioning system in the building of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partially schematic view in perspective showing modified apparatus according to the invention for effecting heat transfer between a generating source within a building structure and air circulated through the structure;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of heat losses or gains as a function of temperature for a first zone of the structure shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a diagram similar to FIG. 5, but showing heat losses or gains for a second zone of the structure of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a floor similar to that of FIG. 2, but including, in addition, a heat pump for transferring heat from air in one conduit to air in an adjacent conduit.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, and, in particular, to FIG. 1, a multi-story steel building including a framework comprising columns 11, girders 12, and beams 13, is shown. Metallic cellular floor units indicated generally at 14 are supported by and above the beams 13, and are structurally connected by joints indicated generally at 15. The floor units 14 are load supporting, and carry a dead load of concrete 16 or other suitable material.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, each of the floor units 14 is composed of a pair of lower channel members 17, a central web 18, and two pairs of upper channel members 19. These members are joined into a structurally integral unit by spot welds 20. 7

Each of the lower channel members 17 forms, together with its central web 13, a duct or conduit through which conditioned air is delivered to an enclosed space within the building of FIG. 1, or though which return air is withdrawn from the enclosed space. Conditioned air is delivered to required ones of such ducts or conduits from a supply header 23 through supply connectors 24, while return air is drawn from others of such ducts or conduits through return connectors 25 and a return header 2d. Conditioned air is delivered to the supply header 23 from a vertical supply duct 27, and is withdrawn from the return header 2-5 through a vertical return duct 28.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, which is a schematic flow diagram showing all of the duct or conduit structure included Within the building of FIG. 1, return air within the vertical return duct 28 is delivered to the inlet side of a blower 29, and is discharged into a line 3% by which it is delivered to an exhaust duct 31 or to a recycle duct 32, or divided between the two, depending upon the setting of dampers 33 and 34. Air in the recycle duct 32 is delivered to the inlet side of a supply air blower 35, together with a volume of fresh air from an intake 36 equal to the volume or" air discharged from the duct 31. A damper 37 is provided in the fresh air intake duct 36, and is operated in conjunction with the dampers 33 and 34 to maintain a constant volume of air in the system. Air from the discharge side of the blower 35 is delivered to an air conditioning unit 38, where it may be heated, cooled, dehumidified, humidified, filtered or the like before delivery through a line 3? to the vertical supply ducts 27. Conditioned air from the vertical supply duct 27 flows through the supply header 23, connectors 24, and to the ducts or conduits formed by the channels 17, as described, and then through appropriate openings provided in the channels 17, through supply connectors 44) and associated outlets into the space to be conditioned. Return air is Withdrawn from the space to be conditioned through outlets associated with return connectors 41, and from thence through ducts or conduits formed by the channel 17 and the return header 26 to the vertical return duct 28.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing discussion of the apparatus according to the instant invention that the plurality of channels 17 all disposed below, and structurally integral with a central web 18, to form ducts or conduits for carrying air is an important feature of the invention. The ducts or conduits have areas, projected on the web 18 or the door or ceiling of the building to be air conditioned, substantially coextensive with the door or ceiling area. This is an important feature of the apparatus, since the maximum duct area is provided, and a duct or conduit is available wherever required for conditioning purposes. As a consequence, sufiicient duct cross-sectional area is available both for supply air and return air to and from the enclosed space, at least when the system of application Serial No. 722,883, filed March 21, 1958, now Patent No. 3,102,399, granted September 3, 1963, is used in conjunction therewith. In any event, the duct area is greatly increased relative to that provided by previously known floors.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the floor units 14 also include conduits formed by the channels 19 for carrying wires 42 to provide electrical service. These channels are available throughout substantially any given floor area, so that complete flexibility with respect to electrical service is also provided. In addition, the positioning of the conduits for wiring in closely adjacent proximity to the ducts or conduits which carry conditioned or return air provides a further highly significant advantage. The electrical system of any multi-story building constitutes a significant source for heat due to the PR loss which occurs during transmission of electricity. In previously known floor units which included conduits for delivering conditioned air and also conduits for electrical service, the two types of conduits have been separated laterally so that heat liberated by the electrical conductors due to the PR loss has been absorbed directly by the concrete "z or the like immediately above the electrical conduits and has caused an increase in floor temperature. Under summer conditions of operation, when removal of sensible and latent heat from the conditioned space is the major problem, heat transfer from the hot floors to the space imposes an extra load, which necessitates a lower conditioned air inlet temperature than would otherwise be required. Apparatus according to the invention, as described above, enables control of the heat storage characteristics of the building, because the FR heat is transferred to conditioned or return air, preferably the latter, and limits the amount of storage. It has been determined that, in a typical system, return air can be heated about 6 F. above the space temperature. When all return air is exhausted, and not recirculated, this extra heating results in a direct saving of refrigeration. The extra heating also raises the maximum outside temperature at which it is economically desirable to exhaust all return air. As a consequence, the maximum refrigeration tonnage required for an air conditioning system is reduced.

Referring now to FIG. 4, apparatus schematically represented is positioned in a plenum between the upper surface of a ceiling and a roof 46. The apparatus comprises a pair of reversible condenser evaporator heat pumps indicated generally at 47. Each of the heat pumps 47 comprises a blower 48 for drawing air from the plenum into contact with one side, designated 49, of the pump, and for discharging such air through conduits 5%) into the space below the ceiling 45 which is to be conditioned. A line 51 is also provided for the flow of fresh air to the ide 49 of one of the pumps 47, and dampers 52 and 53 are provided to control the proportion of fresh air to plenum air. Blowers 54 are also provided to draw air from the plenum through a second side 55 of each of the heat pumps 47, and to exhaust such air to the outside. A line 56 supplies fresh or outside air to the side 55 of one of the pumps 47, and the proportion of fresh air to plenum air is controlled by dampers 57 and 58. The drawing of air from the plenum by the blowers 48 and 54 causes a flow of air from the space being conditioned (below the ceiling 45) into the plenum through exhaust openings 60, which are provided through the ceiling 45. Recessed incandescent lights 62 are provided within housings which extend into the plenum, and are uniformly distributed across the ceiling 45 to illuminate the space being conditioned. As a consequence, air drawn into the plenum through the outlets 60 flows past the incandescent light housings and is heated convectively thereby, with the result that the housings are cooled and the storage of heat in the ceiling 45, which would otherwise occur, is prevented. As a consequence, under certain conditions of operation, total refrigeration tonnage required is minimized because heat generated by the incandescent li hts is exhausted to the outside; under different conditions of operation the heat pumps are more efiicient because the temperature differential between the two sides is minimized; and under still dilferent conditions of operation heat generated by the incandescent lights is used to equalize the temperature between a zone 1, or the exterior zone of the space being conditioned, and a zone 2, or the interior portion of the space being conditioned. Under all conditions of operation the efiiciency of the incandescent lights is increased by virtue of a reduction of their operating temperature. The heat gains or losses in B.t.u.s per square foot as a function of outside air temperature are shown for the perimeter zone No. 1 in FIG. 5 and for the interior zone No. 2 in FIG. 6.

It will be appreciated that it may, in some instances, be desirable to redistribute heat between air flowing in one of the ducts formed by a channel 17 and that flowing in an adjacent such duct, for example when 1 R heat has been picked up by conditioned air, as described above in connection with FIG. 2, and it is desired to use such conditioned air in an enclosed space. In such instance,

for example, a thermoelectric heat pump as shown in FIG. 7 in conjunction with a fragment of the floor of FIG. 2 can be employed to transfer heat from the conditioned air to return air in an adjacent duct. The thermoelectric heat pump, which is generally designated 65, is positioned below floor units 14, and generally between two of the channels 17. The heat pump 65 comprises a central body portion 66 and arms 67 which extend outwardly and upwardly from the body 66 and carry radiating fins 68 for transferring heat to or from air flowing through the ducts or conduits. The body portion 66 of the heat pump is made up of a pair of spaced segmented conductors 69 with alternate bodies 7 9 and 71 of different semi-conducting materials disposed therebetween and in electrical contact with each of the segments. The segments of the conductors 69 are insulated one from another, and the bodies 70 and 71 of the semiconducting materials are also insulated one from another, so that, when an e.m.f. is applied to contacts 73 and 74 to cause a current to flow through the heat pump, the path of the current is generally in the directions indicated by the arrows. The flow of the current causes one of the arms 67 and its associated radiating fins 68 to be heated, and the other of the arms 67 and its associated fins 68 to be cooled. By reversing the direction of flow of current through the semi-conductor, a reversal between the heated and the cooled bodies can be caused to occur. Although it will be appreciated that the heat pump 65 can be used in various ways depending upon the desired result, and the instantaneous requirements of the structure, an important use thereof is to counteract instantaneously the PR heat generated by electricity conducted through the conduits associated with the ducts formed by the channels 17. For this purpose, the e.m.f. applied to the heat pump 65 can be varied as a direct function of the current flowing.

It will be apparent that various changes and modifications can be made from the specific details discussed herein and shown in the attached drawings without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a building structure which includes heat generating means enclosed within the structure, and efiective to liberate heat at a predetermined temperature level higher than that required in an enclosed space within the building structure, first air circulating means for introducing into a circulating system air at a temperature below such predetermined level, for circulating such air within the structure, and for delivering such air to the enlcosed space, and second air circulating means for withdrawing air from a first portion of the enclosed space and for circulating such withdrawn air within the structure, the improvement of a metallic, cellular, structural floor construtcion within the building structure, said floor construction having a horizontally extending central web that is substantially coextensive with at least a portion of a floor of the building structure, wall means cooperating With a first major side of said central web to form a plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending air ducts each of which is a portion of one of the first and second air circulating means, and wall means cooperating With a second major side of said central web to form a plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending conduits enclosing the heat generating means within the structure, each of the conduits being vertically aligned relative to one of the ducts, and having therewith a common wall which is a part of said central web, whereby heat from the generating means is conducted through at least one portion of said central web and transferred to air circulated through the aligned conduit.

2. In a building structure which includes heat generating means enclosed within the structure, and effective to liberate heat at a predetermined temperature level higher than that required in an enclosed space Within the building structure, first air circulating means for introducing into a circulating system air at a temperature below such predetermined level, for circulating such air within the structure, and for delivering such air to the enclosed space, and second air circulating means for Withdrawing air from a first portion of the enclosed space and for circulating such withdrawn air within the structure, the improvement of a metallic, cellular, structural floor construction within the building structure, said floor construction having a horizontally extending central Web that is substantially coextensive with at least a portion of a floor of the building structure, wall means cooperating with a first major side of said central web to form a plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending air ducts, and wall means cooperating with a second major side of said central web to form a plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending conduits enclosing the heat generating means within the structure, each of the conduits being vertically aligned relative to one of the ducts, and having therewith a common wall which is a part of said central web, whereby heat from the generating means is conducted through at least one portion of said central web and transferred to air circulated through the aligned conduit.

3. In a building structure which includes heat generating means enclosed within the structure, and effective to liberate heat at a predetermined temperature level higher than that required in an enclosed space within the building structure, first air circulating means for introducing into a circulating system air at a temperature below such predetermined level, for circulating such air Within the structure, and for delivering such air to the enclosed space, and second air circulating means for withdrawing air from a first portion of the enclosed space and for circulating such withdrawn air within the structure, the improvement of a metallic, cellular, structural floor construction within the building structure, said floor construction having a horizontally extending central web that is substantially coextensive with at least a portion of a floor of the building structure, wall means cooperating with the lower side of said central web to form a plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending air ducts, and wall means cooperating with the upper side of said central web to form a plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending conduits enclosing the heat generating means within the structure, each of the conduits being disposed vertically above one of the ducts, and having therewith a common wall which is a part of said central web, whereby heat from the generating means is conducted through at least one portion of said central web and transferred to air circulated through the aligned condiut.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,669,393 Schleicher Feb. 16, 1954 2,730,942 Peterson Ian. 17, 1956 2,788,648 Sherron Apr. 16, 1957 2,877,990 Goemann Mar. 17, 1959 2,912,231 Goemann Nov. 10, 1959 2,949,014 Belton et al. Aug. 16, 1960 3,010,378 Geocaris Nov. 28, 1961 

1. IN A BUILDING STRUCTURE WHICH INCLUDES HEAT GENERATING MEANS ENCLOSED WITHIN THE STRUCTURE, AND EFFECTIVE TO LIBERATE HEAT AT A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE LEVEL HIGHER THAN THAT REQUIRED IN AN ENCLOSED SPACE WITHIN THE BUILDING STRUCTGURE, FIRST AIR CIRCULATING MEANS FOR INTRODUCING INTO A CIRCULATING SYSTEM AIR AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW SUCH PREDETERMINED LEVEL, FOR CIRCULATING SUCH AIR WITHIN THE STRUCTURE, AND FOR DELIVERING SUCH AIR TO THE ENCLOSED SPACE, AND SECOND AIR CIRCULATING MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING AIR FROM A FIRST PORTION OF THE ENCLOSED SPACE AND FOR CIRCULATING SUCH WITHDRAWN AIR WITHIN THE STRUCTURE, THE IMPROVEMENT OF A METALLIC, CELLULAR, STRUCTURAL FLOOR CONSTRUCTION WITHIN THE BUILDING STRUCTURE, SAID FLOOR CONSTRUCTION HAVING A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING CENTRAL WEB THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH AT LEAST A PORTION OF A FLOOR OF THE BUILDING STRUCTURE, WALL MEANS COOPERATING WITH A FIRST MAJOR SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL WEB TO FORM A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING AIR DUCTS EACH OF WHICH IS A PORTION OF ONE OF THE FIRST AND SECOND AIR CIRCULATING MEANS, AND WALL MEANS COOPERATING WITH A SECOND MAJOR SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL WEB TO FORM A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CONDUITS ENCLOSING THE HEAT GENERATING MEANS WITHIN THE STRUCTURE, EACH OF THE CONDUITS BEING VERTICALLY ALIGNED RELATIVE TO ONE OF THE DUCTS, AND HAVING THEREWITH A COMMON WALL WHICH IS A PART OF SAID CENTRAL WEB, WHEREBY HEAT FROM THE GENERATING MEANS IS CONDUCTED THROUGH AT LEAST ONE PORTION OF SAID CENTRAL WEB AND TRANSFERRED TO AIR CIRCULATED THROUGH THE ALIGNED CONDUIT. 